


Good to be home

by livsoulsecrets



Category: The Dark Artifices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Fluff, Kierarktina, Multi, good feels, kieran and mark officialy meeting cristina's mom, post qooad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 12:07:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24849505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livsoulsecrets/pseuds/livsoulsecrets
Summary: "— Is everything okay with your mom, Tina? — Mark asks.— Yes- I mean, I think so. Well, the thing is... She’s coming here. — Cristina finally manages to say. Kieran’s hair changes into a deep red color as soon as the words come out of her mouth.— Oh. — Mark says.— Oh. — Kieran repeats, not knowing what else to do."
Relationships: Kieran/Cristina Rosales, Mark Blackthorn/Cristina Rosales, Mark Blackthorn/Kieran, Mark Blackthorn/Kieran/Cristina Rosales
Comments: 4
Kudos: 51





	Good to be home

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing Kierarktina, hope you enjoy it! Missing them more than never. The story is located at the LA Institue.

Kieran feels like he can finally breath when he sees Cristina and Mark waiting for him in the Sanctuary’s doors. All the stress he had been feeling ever since he left the kingdom goes away when they run to him. They quickly become a mess of hugs and kisses, so many Kieran loses count. 

— You’re here. You’re really here. — Mark whispers, his forehead touching Kieran’s. 

— Just like I told you. — Kieran answers, Cristina’s hand resting in his heart. 

The truth is that nothing would stop him from coming there, even if only for a few stolen hours while Winter took care of everything in the Unseelie Court. Helen and Aline were out for some well-deserved time off, leaving Mark and Cristina responsible for taking care of Dru and Tavvy for the weekend, with Julian, Emma and Ty away. It was a rare opportunity for them to be together without nothing else worrying them, just like in their cottage. 

— Come on, let’s get inside, Dru and Tavvy are waiting for you. — Cristina says, offering her hand to guide him inside. He takes it. 

They don’t let go of each other while entering the Institute, Cristina gladly leading the way to the kitchen, where she said the kids would be. 

— Hey, guess who is finally here! — She announces once they enter the room, Dru and Tavvy sat down at the table, sharing a chocolate bar. Tavvy drops the candy immediately. Kieran laughs when Tavvy runs to entangle himself around his legs. 

— Hello, Tavvy. — He kisses his head and the boy laughs, running back to Dru shortly after. 

— Kier is back! — Tavvy says. Mark smiles down at his little brother and Cristina buries her face in Kieran’s shoulder, barely handling how much she had missed Kieran and his smile. 

— Yeah, he finally is. — Mark adds. 

— Hey, Kier. Seems like you have a fan. — Dru jokes. — Nice to see you, those two were going crazy waiting for you. They made us clean everywhere. 

— Dru! Don’t be a snitch! — Mark called out, his checks growing red. Cristina barely suppressed a laugh. 

— Well, we just wanted to make you feel welcome. — She defended herself. 

— I really appreciate that. — Kieran said, his heart content. He had one arm resting against Cristina’s shoulder. He reached out for Mark’s hand and he held on tight. 

— Okay, I already got it, we’re being the fourth wheel here! We will go watch some TV, since Julian is not here to regulate it. 

— I’m here to do that. — Mark said, trying to be though, but his eyes didn’t leave Kieran’s for one second. 

— None of us believes that, Mark. — Dru answered, taking Tavvy by the hand and disappearing through the door. 

— Well, she is right about that. — Cristina says, grinning. 

— Nobody believes me in here, thank the Angel you’re back to defend my honor, Kier. — He is still smiling, but Kieran just looks at him in confusion. 

— What honor? I don’t think you have had that ever since you were sixteen... 

Cristina laughs so much she needs to reach for the wall in order not to fall down. Mark just rolls his eyes, which confuses Kieran even further. 

— Oh, Kier, I missed you so much. — Cristina finally says and Kieran forgets all about mortal’s strange wording to focus on her. 

— I missed you too. I know I can only be here for some hours, but I’m glad I could come. 

— Me too. — Mark agrees, his arm circling Kieran’s waist. Cristina recomposes herself at the same time Kieran reaches for her, pulling Cristina to them. 

— It is good you’re home. — Cristina says, her voice cracking. Kieran never thought he would actually hear those words coming out of her mouth, but he is not surprised by how genuine they are. He finally is home, the two people he loves the most in the world in his arms, his heart more whole than it has ever been. 

Home is the only word that could possibly fit what he is feeling right now. 

Kieran bends down and kiss her lips, but the sound of her phone ringing startles them a second after. 

— By the angel. — She says over her breath, taking a step back. She looks at the phone and her eyebrows raise. — Oh, it’s my mom. I’ll be just back. — She says, laying a quick kiss in Kieran’s cheek before picking up the call. 

— Hola, mamá. Si, todo bien. Yo también te extraño. — Cristina says, walking out to talk with her mom. Mark holds on to Kieran a bit longer and smiles down at him. 

— Can’t believe I really have you right here. — Mark whispers. — Life is good. 

— It can be. — Kieran answers and Mark kisses him, calmly, like they have all the time in the world. 

— Come on, let’s find something to do until she gets back. — Mark offers when they break apart. 

Then, Kieran and Mark occupy themselves with setting the table and picking up some ingredients to what they decided would be a chocolate cake. Cristina would probably regret leaving them alone, but it was too late for that now. She comes back after a few minutes, a worried look on her face. Kieran and Mark stare at her in confusion. 

— Is everything okay with your mom, Tina? — Mark asks. 

— Yes- I mean, I think so. Well, the thing is... She’s coming here. — Cristina finally manages to say. Kieran’s hair changes into a deep red color as soon as the words come out of her mouth. 

— Oh. — Mark says. 

— Oh. — Kieran repeats, not knowing what else to do. Mark had met Carmen once since they started dating, it was brief, but it was still more experience than Kieran had in that field. If he didn’t know what to do, then Kieran was damned. 

— Boys, “oh” is not really helping right now. — Cristina falls down at a chair and puts her head in her hands. 

— Sorry, it is just unexpected. — Kieran justifies. 

— She said she came to New York to surprise me and Jace told her I was here. So, Magnus offered to make a portal for her and, basically, she is on her way. 

— On her way? — Mark stuttered, staring at the kitchen door as if he is expecting Carmen to pop up at any given moment. 

— I guess it is a good thing you guys cleaned everything up. — Kieran offers, hoping it helps. 

By the sound Cristina makes, it doesn’t. 

— Hey, it is going to be okay. — Kieran sits down by her side, trying to calm her down. 

— Yes, it is. Look, why don’t we go wait for her outside? To welcome her. — Mark suggests. That makes Cristina looks up. 

— I’ll go. You can wait here. It is better this way. — With that, she leaves the kitchen. 

Kieran wishes he could say something that would free Mark from his worries, but he doesn’t think he can do it. So, they just wait in silence until Cristina returns to the kitchen, her mom following after her. 

Carmen was a short woman with black hair and a firm posture that looked so much like Cristina that made Kieran a bit uncomfortable looking at her for too long. She seemed tense and so serious that being a king didn’t do much to dissipate Kieran’s nervousness when Cristina shyly introduced him to her. 

— Nice to meet you properly, King Kieran. — She says, her face so neutral Kieran wonders if she is putting an effort into looking calm. 

— Just Kieran is fine. It is really nice to meet you too. — He shakes the hand she offers and hopes for the best. Mark is nervously fidgeting beside him and Kieran wishes to reach for his hand to calm him down, but he doesn’t feel really comfortable doing that in front of Cristina’s mom. 

— Mark, good to see you too. — The boy nods with a small smile that Kieran knows he is faking. He was about to answer when Tavvy stormed into the kitchen with Dru right behind him. 

— Octavian Blackthorn, get your ass back here! It is my turn to watch TV! Give the damn remote back! — She screams after him, furious. Cristina puts a hand on the kitchen counter, a look of distress on her face. Tavvy doesn’t seem to care about Dru’s request and just hides behind Mark, hoping his brother takes his side. Only then, Dru notices Carmen is standing right there and a shade of red covers her cheeks.

— Hello, Mrs. Rosales. Sorry for bursting in. — Dru apologizes, embarassed. 

— Hello, Dru. — Carmen says, a small smile on her lips. Kieran assumes that is a good sign. 

— I should solve this. Excuse me. — Mark half drags Tavvy away, Dru close behind him. Kieran watches him, envious that his boyfriend got to flee the scene while he stayed behind. Still, it is not like he could leave Cristina alone, it was clear by the panic on her face that she needed him around. He smiles lightly at her and a bit of the color seems to come back to her face. 

— Why don’t you sit down, mama? I was going to make some coffe for us, do you want some? — Cristina offered and Kieran never thought he would be so relieved to hear about coffe in all his life as he did when Carmen nodded, accepting her daughter’s offer. 

Kieran and Carmen sat down at the Institute’s table, that seemed especially huge today because of the absence of the Blackthorns, the two of them in complete silence. Kieran had once watched a movie with Dru where the father-in-law questioned his daughter’s boyfriend about his intentions. It seemed unlikely that Carmen would do the same, but Kieran was still a bit terrified of her. Turns out being king doesn’t solve the nerve-wracking experience of facing your super awesome girlfriend’s mother when you are totally sure you do not deserve her daughter. 

Still, Cristina had chosen him. She loved him just as much as he loved her and they loved Mark. Against all odds, Kieran was happier than he had ever been. Surprising himself, hiding beneath all his fear was his unshakable faith that the three of them belonged together. Not even Carmen Rosales herself could tear that apart, as scary as she could be. 

— So... How has the Unseelie Court been treating you? — Carmen asked while Cristina put down the coffe mug in front of her and went to sit by Kieran’s side, the three other mugs barely fitting her hands.

The answer was obvious: once he was the king, he had been treated extraordinarily well. But Cristina had explained to him that sometimes mortal people asked obvious questions just to sparkle conversations. That and the forced smile on Cristina’s face while she stared at him pushed Kieran to answer the question with all the grace he could gather. 

— It has been incredibly difficult to be their king, but I believe I’m the leader my people need. I hope I can be half as good to them as they are to me. — Kieran assumed he had done well because Cristina’s smile became more honest and she pressed her hand against his, resting both of them in his tight. 

— I’m sure they are in good hands. — It is all she says, but it sounds honest, so Kieran takes it as a win. 

— It is what I hope. 

— And you, Cristina? Everything okay in New York? — Cristina straightened herself in the chair and went on a tangent about her work, excitedly telling details about the alliance she had been dedicating so much time to. Kieran had heard all about it already, but he found himself paying attention to every word Cristina said, his heart warm by how happy she was while talking about her job. He couldn’t be prouder of her. 

Mark makes it back to the kitchen, still looking stressed. He sits down next to Carmen, Kieran supposes because it would be weird to have the three of them facing her as if they were being questioned by Cristina’s mom. He picks up the coffe mug, taking a sip, seeming glad he could focus on something else other than the unexpected family meeting they had being pulled into. 

— Mark! I was just telling my mom about New York. — Despite his uneasiness, Mark grins at Cristina, the soft, honest expression that Kieran fell in love with taking over his face. 

— Cristina is doing some wonderful work there. Alec himself said he is impressed with her. — Mark says, putting a smile on Carmen’s face. 

— I never doubted you would achieve great things, Cristina. Estoy muy orgullosa de ti. — She says the last words looking right at her daughter. Mark's eyes darted to Kieran, the two of them knowing how important that was to Cristina. 

Kieran remembered that Cristina would sometimes talk about how her mom had always pushed her to be the best version of herself, which helped building the amazing woman she was, but what also made Cristina constantly terrified of letting her down. Over time, she had learned to balance those feelings, being more dedicated to being who she wanted to be rather than who her mother expected her to be. 

What Cristina never said, but Kieran still noticed, was that part of her still cared about making her mom proud. By the look of surprise in Cristina’s face, she had assumed her chances of doing so had ended when she decided to be with Mark and Kieran and moved to New York instead of going back to Mexico. 

— Thank you, mom. It really means a lot to me. — Cristina answered, her brightest smile on her lips. 

Kieran decided he didn’t care if Carmen Rosales hated him or not, as long as she kept Cristina happy like that, he would endure anything that came his way. 

Eventually, they fell into an pleasant conversation, Carmen talking about how things were in Mexico, with Mark and Cristina occasionally mentioning New York and the new Clave. Kieran also talked about the Unseelie court and the challenges he was facing. Carmen was paying a lot of attention, her eyes following the three of them with a softer expression. She seemed more relaxed, her false calm posture long gone. Kieran was starting to think maybe he panicked for no reason at all. 

Kieran should have known then that things were too good to be true. Cristina’s phone rang, making all conversation stop. 

— I’m so sorry, I really need to take this. It is Lily, there must be some trouble with the Hotel. — She picks up the phone. — Hey, what- Wait, I can’t hear you. Can't you call Clary for that? Okay, fine, I'll go take a look at the Codex and get back to you. — She puts the phone down for a moment and says: — Lily needs my help with something, I’ll be back in a moment. 

Her tone is clearly apologetic, but Kieran just nodded, signaling she should go. Mark looks as if he wants to follow after her with an excuse just to get rid of being alone with Carmen, but Kieran is facing him, which does make him sit very still, incapable of leaving him behind. They are doing this together. 

They fall into an uncomfortable silence, the only thing keeping Kieran steady is Mark’s eyes on him. His hair stays blue through it all, Mark’s presence grounding him. 

— I can tell the two of you are terrified. — Carmen finally says. Kieran doesn’t know what to answer, especially because it’s true. 

— I’m not saying this is what I pictured for my daughter. It definitely isn’t. When Cristina first told me, I said all that mattered is that she was happy and I meant it. Still, part of me didn’t think it would last, but, here you are, months after that. As surprised as I am, I need to admit that I was wrong. I guess you are not going anywhere. — She doesn’t say it like that is a terrible thing, so Kieran assumes it is safe to speak. 

— We definitely aren’t. I love your daughter and, for some miracle, she loves me back. I will never do anything to ruin that. — Kieran assures Carmen, that nods, not seeming surprised by how serious he sounds. 

— I understand why you were confused at first, we’re still figuring everything out ourselves... But, just like Kieran, I love Cristina. I promise you we’ll keep her safe no matter what. — Mark promises. 

— My daughter doesn’t really need anybody to keep her safe. — Carmen answers, a playful smile on her lips. She never looked so much like Cristina as now. — But I appreciate the sentiment. It means a lot to me. 

— It is only the truth. — Kieran adds, feeling like tons of weight got off his shoulders. 

— I hope we can see each other more times, it would be great to get to know the two of you better. — Carmen offers. Kieran and Mark share a look and the answer is clear. 

— We would love that. — Mark says at the same time Cristina comes back. She walks towards Kieran, putting a lock of hair behind her ear. 

— Did I miss much? — Cristina asks, sitting down, her hand finding the way to Kieran’s arm easily. 

— I was just saying we should do this more often. I need to know better who my daughter is going to marry. — Carmen teases. Cristina blushes, her hand tightening around Kieran’s. 

— Mamá! — She grunts, embarrassed. — You’re unbelievable! — She is getting even more red, but her mom refrains for saying anything else when Dru and Tavvy come barging in once again. 

— We’re hungry! — Tavvy announces, making Carmen laugh. 

— Tavvy! We already messed up once, say hi to Cristina’s mom this time first. — Dru tells him, holding him close. — It is really good to see you! 

— It is great to see you too, Dru. — Carmen gets up and walks to them. — I love cooking, you know? Come on, I’ll teach you how to make buñuelos. — She leads them to the kitchen cabinet, Tavvy clapping his hands in excitement. 

— Mark, Kieran, get ready to eat the best afternoon snack you ever had. — Cristina excitedly tells the boys. 

— Can’t wait! — Mark says, getting up. He sits by Cristina’s side, a lot more relaxed than he had been just minutes ago. 

— This went so much better than I thought it would go. — Cristina blurts out, shocked. 

— It totally did. Your mother is pretty nice. Scary, for sure, but nice. — Kieran ponders, watching as Carmen picks up the ingredients around the kitchen with Dru and Tavvy carefully paying attention. 

— And she is not wrong, you know about us... Marrying someday. — Mark whispers. — We’ll make it. I don’t know how or when, but I know we will. — Kieran knows it'll be hard and the idea still sounds insane, but Mark is so sure that he can't help but believe it as well. 

— Someday. — Cristina repeats and it sounds like a promise, so Kieran says it too. 

— Someday. 

Then, Cristina lays her head in his shoulder and pulls Mark’s hand to rest on her lap entangled to Kieran’s. Their warmth grounds Kieran, just like it always does. 

It is really good to be home.


End file.
